Backgrounds
Cancer
Cancer is one of the major public health problems worldwide and is currently considered the second cause of death after cardiovascular diseases. In Venezuela, between 45,000 and 50,000 new cases each year have been reported (not including skin cancer cases) of which over 20,000 resulted in death, which makes cancer in Venezuela one of the primary causes of morbidity and mortality
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Chagas
Chagas disease owes its name to Brazilian doctor Carlos Chagas, who discovered it in 1909. This disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to mammals and humans by insect vectors (triatoma) that are found only in the Americas, specifically in rural areas where poverty is widespread. Chagas disease (infection by T. cruzi) is also known as American trypanosomiasis.
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Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is a disease found in the tropical jungles of America, as well as in Asia and Africa. Actually, leishmaniasis is a group of diseases caused by different species of the Leishmania parasite, which is divided, according to the medical point of view, into superficial leishmaniasis that mainly affects the skin and mucous membranes, and visceral leishmaniasis, also called kala-azar, that harms the internal organs (liver, spleen, bone marrow).
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Leprosy
Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium M. leprae and M. lepromatosis. M. leprae was discovered in 1874 by the Norwegian physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, which is why the disease is also known as Hansen's disease. M. lepromatosis is another bacterium identified in 2008 in the University of Texas.
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Onchocerciasis and Mycosis
Onchocerciasis, also known as "river blindness", is a disease caused by the parasite worm Onchocerca volvulus. It is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected black flies (Simulium spp.) that breed in rapids and streams, mainly in remote rural areas near fertile agricultural lands.
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National Dermatology Healthcare Network
The National Dermatology Healthcare Network, staffed by a uniquely qualified team of sanitary dermatologists, health inspectors, nurses and social promoters, is the battlefront where leprosy and other endemic skin conditions in the country are fought.
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